Curling-iron



oModel. 4 (N R. T. THOMAS sa T. B. GORTON- CURLING IRON.

Patented Apr. 2l

AN DREW SLRANAM. PHOTO-Elmo WASMNGTONDE.

Nirnn *rares artnr ROBERT T. THOMAS AND TRUMAN B. GCR-TON, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS.

CURLINGHIRON..`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,861, dated April21, 1896.

Application filed July 25, 1894. Serial No. 518.534. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT T. THOMAS and TRUMANB.GoRroN,citizens oftheUnited States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curling-Irons, of which the following is a specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and in which-Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of an iron embodying` theinvention. Fig. 2 is a section of a portion thereof on line 2 2, Fig. l.Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the manner of attaching the clamp to thebulb. Fig. 4 is a central section of a portion of the improvedcurling-iron under a slight modification.

The present invention relates to that class of devices that are known tothe trade as selfheating curling-irons, or, in other words,curling-irons in which a reservoir for containing alcohol is arranged inor forms the handle and to which is suitably secured a wick-tube, towhich latter in turn is attached a bulb carrying the curling-ironproper.

One of the particular difliculties to be overcome in making asuccessfully-operatin g curling-iron of this description is thevariation in the iiame, which variation is due partly to the moving ofthe curling-iron from an upright to a horizontal or inverted position.In practice the wick-tube and bulb are held out of direct contact witheach other by means of a material which is a poor conductor of heat; buteven when so insulated a small amount of heat will reach the upperportion of the reservoir, andin proportion to the heating of thereservoir by whatever means vapor will be generated within it. While thecurling-iron is in upright position this vapor will of course remain inthe upper heated portion of the reservoir; but as soon as the reservoiris turned toa horizontal or inverted position this vapor will of coursechange places with the alcohol, and by coming in contact therewith andwith the cooler portion of the reservoir will be condensed, therebyforming in the reservoir a partial vacuum, the effect of which is toproduce a suction within the wicktube and lower or extinguish the flame.

The particular object of the present invention is to provide acurling-iron of the character in question with a suitable chamber orreservoir within which this vapor, which is generated in the Vupperportion of the reservoir, may accumulate and from which it may beconducted by the wick-tube for feeding the flame, the arrangement ofsaid vapor chamber or reservoir being such that when the curling-iron isinverted the vapor-reservoir retains its vapor and holds it out ofcontact with the liquid fuel, this latter being held in a separatereservoir.

Another object of the present invention is to provide improved means forsecuring the wick-tube to the reservoir and at the same time separatingthe one from the other by means of a suitable insulating material.

Another object of the invention is to simplify and cheapen theconstruction of the bulb, at the same time providing a bulb which may beopened to give access to the upper end of the wick-tube.

To these ends the invention consists in the features of novelty that areparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A represents the hollow handle, which consists of ametallic tube closed at one end by a screw-cap A and provided at theother end with an inturned flange ci.

B represents the wick-tube, which is provided with a shoulder h.

C represents a disk, of vulcanite or other material which is a poorconductor of heat, having a central opening through which the lowerportion of the wick-tube is passed, the extremity of `said tube beingupset against the under side of the disk so as to clamp the disk rigidlybetween the shoulder and the upset portion, thereby rigidly uniting thewick-tube and disk. This disk is located within the handle and bearsagainst the under side of the inturned flange a..

D is a second disk, which may or may not be threaded to engage threadson the exterior of the wick-tube and which bears against the top side ofthe flange a, and E is the base of the two-part bulb, which is providedwith a tubular portion e, internally screw-threaded and screwed onto thewick-tube until it comes to the iirm bearing of the disk D, whereby thedisks C and D are forced toward cach IOO other, so as to clamp theflange a between them, thus closing the upper end of the tube of whichthe handle is formed and rigidly connecting the wick-tube thereto.

If desired, a nut F may be screwed onto the wick-tube, below the base ofthe bulb, as shown in Fig. 4, in which case the bulb is relieved of allstrain excepting such as results from pressure upon it or itsaccessories.

Heretofore ithas been the custom to connect the two parts of the bulb bymeans of a hinge; but this is expensive, and in order to obviate it weprefer to provide the upper part or dome G with a lip g and aspring-clamp g', arranged at opposite points, so that when one side ofthe base E is placed in engagement with the lip g the other side may bepressed into engagement with the spring-clamp and the two parts thusunited with sufficient firmness for practical purposes.

In order to provide a simple and effective means for attaching the clampIl to the bulb, we provide said clamp with a pair of perforated ears h,and we provide the bulb with a pair of perforated ears I, which areformed of the material of the bulb, and we pass through these severalperforated ears a pivot J.

K is a wire spring which is coiled at an intermediate point around thepivot J and which bears at one end against the bulb G and at the otherend against the under side of the handle of the clamp for the purpose ofholding the clamp` normally againstthe curling-iron proper, L.

M is a disk which is located within the hollow handle, close to theinner end of the wicktube, and provided with a central openin g throughwhich the wick N passes, the opening being of such size that the wick iscompressed, as shown at m.

O is a diaphragm which fits within the hollow handle some distance fromthe top thereof, so as to divide its interior into two compartments orchambers X and Y, which serve as reservoirs, the former for holdingvapor and the latter for holding the liquid fuel, said diaphragm beingprovided with a central opening, through which the wick passes, saidopening being of such diameter that the wick is compressed at 0. Throughthis diaphragm we prefer to form a second opening 0'; but this openingmay be omitted, as shown in Fig. l. Te prefer also to provide the wallof the vapor-reservoir X with a vent opening to the atmosphere and toprovide said vent with a screw-valve P, by which it may be closed oropened when desired; but this vent and valve may also be omitted, asshown in Fig. 4.

The disks C, D, and M are all preferably made of vulcanite or somematerial which is a poor conductor of heat, and while they prevent theheating of the handle to a temperature that cannot be borne by the handthey will not prevent the heating of the reservoirs to a slight degree.This heating of the reservoirs generates a vapor, which of courseascends and occupies the upper-portion of the reservoirs while thecurling-iron is in upright position; but without some means to preventit when the curling-iron is turned to a horizontal or inverted positionall of the vapor in the hollow handle and alcohol will change places inthe manner and with the results above described. I t is the object ofthe diaphragm O to prevent this vapor which accumulates in the upperpart of the hollow handle from coming into contact with and beingchilled by the alcohol and the cooler portions of the handle.

le believe ourselves to be the first to construct a curling-iron withtwo reservoirs, one adapted to hold liquid fuel and the other adapted tohold the vapor apart from the liquid when the curler is inverted anddeliver it through a tube for feeding the flame, and we desire to haveit understood that in its broadest aspect our invention is not limitedto a vapor-reservoir constructed or located precisely as shown in thedrawings, but comprchends any reservoir however constructed or locatedthat will produce the desired result.

The object of the opening 0 is to give vent to the liquid-reservoir, andit should be of such size that alcohol will not iiow freely by gravitythrough it and into the vapor-reservoir.

rlhe object of the vent and valve is to regulate the iiame. It willreadily be understood that if the pressure of the vapor within thewick-tube and vapor-reservoir be excessive the llame will be too large,and in order to reduce it and keep it any desired size it is simplynecessary to properly adjust the valve P.

Having thus described our invention, the following is what we claim asnew and desire v,to secure by Letters Patent:

l. In a curling-iron, the combination with the iron proper and a handletherefor, of two reservoirs adapted to hold liquid fuel and vapor,respectively, a passage through which said reservoirs communicate, saidpassage being of small capacity so that when the iron is inverted vaporwill be retained in said res-- ervoir, a tube communicating with thevaporreservoir and serving to conduct vapor therefrom for feeding theflame, and a wick eX- tending from the liquid-reservoir, through thevapor-reservoir and into the wick-tube, substantially as set forth.

2. In a curling-iron, the combination with the iron proper and a handletherefor, of two reservoirs adapted to hold liquid fuel and vapor,respectively, a passage through which said reservoirs communicate, saidpassage being of small capacity so that when the iron is inverted vaporwill be retained in the vaporreservoir, a tube communicating with thevapor-reservoir and serving to conduct vapor therefrom for feeding theflame, and a wick compressed in the passage between the reservoirs,substantially as set forth.

8. In a curling-iron, the combination with IOO IIO

the iron prop er and a handle therefor, of two reservoirs adapted tohold liquid fuel and vapor, respectively, a passage through which saidreservoirs communicate, said passage being of small capacity so thatwhen the iron is inverted vapor will be retained in the vaporreservoir,a tube communicating with the vapor-reservoir and serving to conveyvapor therefrom for feeding the flame, and a wick compressed in thepassage between the reservoirs and compressed in the passage throughwhich vapor is conducted to the iame, substantially as set forth.

4L. In a curling-iron, the combination with the iron proper and a handletherefor, of two reservoirs adapted to hold liquid fuel and vapor,respectively, a passage through which said reservoirs communicate, saidpassage being of small capacity so that Awhen the iron is inverted vaporwill be retained in the vaporreservoir, a tube communicating with thevapor-reservoir and serving to conduct vapor therefrom for feeding theiiame, a wick, a venting-opening communicating with the vapor-reservoir,and a valve for controlling said opening, substantially as set forth.

5. In a curling-iron, the combination with the iron proper and a hollowhandle therefor, of a diaphragm arranged within said handle and dividingit into two reservoirs adapted to hold liquid fuel and vaporrespectively, an opening through said diaphragm, a wick filling saidopening so that when the iron is inverted vapor will be retained in thevaporreservoir, and a tube communicating with the vapor-reservoir andserving to conduct vapor therefrom for feeding the flame, substantiallyas set forth.

(. In a curling-iron7 the combination with the iron proper and a hollowhandle therefor, of a diaphragm arranged within said handle and dividingit into two reservoirs adapted to hold liquid fuel and vapor,respectively, an opening through said diaphragm, a second diaphragmarranged in the handle above the rst, an opening through said seconddiaphragm, a wick extending through and compressed in the openings ofthe two diaphragms, and a tube communicating with the vaporreservoirthrough the opening of the upper diaphragm, and serving to conduct vaporfrom said reservoir for feeding the flame, substantially as set forth.

7. In a curling-iron, the combination of a reservoir having at top aninturned flange, a disk located within the reservoir and fitting againstsaid iiange, a wick-tube securely fastened to said disk, a second disksurrounding the wick-tube and bearing against the top of the flangeofthe reservoir, and means for forcing said disks together,substantially as set forth.

8. In a curling-iron, the combination of a reservoir having at top aninturned ange, a disk located Within the reservoir and fitting againstsaid iiange, a wick-tube securely fastened to said disk, a second disksurrounding the Wick-tube and bearing against the top of the flange ofthe reservoir, and a bulb screwed onto the wick-tube and engaging thesecond disk for forcing the two disks together, substantially as setforth.

ROBERT T. THOMAS. TRUMAN B. GORTON. Witnesses N. C. GRIDLEY, J.HALPENNY.

